The Great Britain Disability Football Association Ltd (GBDFA) was founded in 2007 as the governing body for disability football at Great Britain level, including but not limited to Great Britain teams participating in the Paralympic Games. It is recognised as such by both the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) and the new International Federation for Cerebral Palsy Football (IFCPF), as well as by the British Paralympic Association (BPA).

The GBDFA has a membership comprising five of the organisations who are involved in the development and delivery of the  Para-football pathway across Great Britain and the home nations – namely The Football Association, British Blind Sport, Cerebral Palsy Sport, Great Britain Deaf Football, and Disability Sport Wales. The Activity Alliance and Scottish Disability Sport are associate members of the association.”

The role of the GBDFA is that of an umbrella organisation, rather than one which involves itself directly in the delivery of the disability football pathway. This role is concerned with co-ordination and alignment between the organisations which are involved directly in the delivery of the pathway; reflecting best practice, and raising awareness. The association does, however, have direct responsibility for nominating athletes to the BPA to participate in the Paralympic Games.

The GBDFA operates a service-level agreement (SLA) with The Football Association through which the Great Britain disability football programme is funded, and FA staff members are employed or deployed to work on the programme.

The vision of the GBDFA

• Achieve consistent medal success at the Paralympic Games and other international events
• Inspire and guide the next generation of international and Paralympic medal winners
• Raise awareness of disability football within Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Become an independent organisation with excellent governance structures and systems

Our mission statement

“Delivering and supporting deliberate, systemic, consistent and repeatable success in international and Paralympic football”